Reproductive freedom : : in the context of international human rights and humanitarian law / / by Maja Kirilova Eriksson.

• Superior document: International studies in human rights ; Volume 60
• VerfasserIn: Eriksson, Maja Kirilova,
• Place / Publishing House: The Hague, The Netherlands ;, Boston ;, London : : Martinus Nijhoff Publishers,, [2000]; ©2000
• Year of Publication: 2000
• Language: English
• Series: International studies in human rights ; Volume 60.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource.

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive investigation of reproductive freedom in the light of contemporary international law. The author discusses reproductive freedom in the context of feminist legal theory, international human rights and humanitarian law. This holistic approach makes the book unique and enhances its value as a comprehensive resource on the most challenging and contentious issues of our time, i.e., legal abortion, medically assisted reproduction, surrogate motherhood, forced pregnancy during armed conflicts, and many others. The author's aim is to advance current debates about gender equality and reproductive rights, and to deepen the analysis of the legal concepts involved. In surveying the international commitment to women's rights and examining critically the way in which international global and regional human rights bodies and ad hoc international tribunals deal with issues pertaining to reproductive freedom and sexual violence, this volume makes clear to what extent contemporary international law norms may be used as a tool for change, and how they need to be adapted to meet the special needs of girls and women worldwide. Finally, the book explores what improvements are necessary to prevent and protect adolescents, women and men, against violation of their reproductive freedom.

Table of Contents

Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Part I. Gender Equality Under International Law -- Chapter 1. The Significance of the Topic -- 1.1. The Centrality of Women's Human Rights for the Future Development of Humanity -- 1.2. The Scope and Outline of the Present Work -- Chapter 2. Non-Discrimination and Gender Equality - Some Conceptual Deliberations -- 2.1. Introduction -- 2.2. The Quest for a Dynamic Definition of Discrimination and Equality -- 2.2.1. Formal Equality -- 2.2.1.1. The Ideological Basis -- 2.2.1.2. Governmental Commitment to de lure Equality -- 2.2.2. Substantive Equality -- 2.2.2.1. The Philosophical and Legal Basis -- 2.2.2.2. Differential Treatment and Discrimination -- 2.2.2.3. Equality of Opportunity -- 2.2.2.4. Affirmative Action -- 2.2.3. Concluding Remarks -- 2.3. Jurisprudence and Authoritative Statements of International Treaty Bodies -- 2.3.1. Introduction -- 2.3.2. The UN Human Rights Committee -- 2.3.2.1. The Case Law of the HRC -- 2.3.2.2. The Reporting Procedure -- 2.3.2.3. Concluding Observations -- 2.3.3. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights -- 2.3.4. The Committee on the Rights of the Child -- 2.3.5. The Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) -- 2.3.5.1. General Background -- 2.3.5.2. Monitoring the Women's Convention -- 2.3.5.3. Request for Reports on an Exceptional Basis -- 2.3.5.4. Preparation of General Recommendations -- 2.3.5.5. Some Concluding Remarks -- 2.3.6. The European Commission and the European Court on Human Rights -- 2.3.6.1. Institutional Background -- 2.3.6.2. Non-discrimination -- 2.3.6.3. Non-discrimination and Some Aspects of Reproductive Freedom -- 2.3.6.4. Conclusions -- 2.3.7. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

2.3.7.1. The Inter-American System -- 2.3.7.2. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights -- 2.3.7.3. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights -- 2.3.7.4. Some Concluding Remarks -- 2.3.8. The African Commission for Human and Peoples' Rights -- 2.3.8.1. A Background of the African Charter -- 2.3.8.2. The Mandate of the African Commission -- 2.3.8.3. Concluding Remarks -- 2.3.9. Summary and Concluding Comments -- Chapter 3. The Principle of Non-discrimination on the Basis of Sex and Gender Equality - A Candidate for Ius Cogens Status -- 3.1. The Function of Ius Cogens Norms in International Law -- 3.2. Rules, which have been Identified as Part of the Concept of Ius Cogens -- 3.3. Norms of General International Law -- 3.3.1. General Discussion -- 3.3.2. The Problem of Reservations -- 3.3.2.1. Generally -- 3.3.2.2. The Permissibility and Pattern of Reservations -- 3.3.2.3. Acceptance and Objections to Reservations -- 3.4. Ius Cogens Norms Permit No Derogation -- 3.5. Is the Principle of Non-discrimination on the Basis of Sex and Equality Recognised and Accepted by the International Community? -- 3.6. Peremptory Obligations are Owed by All States to the International Community -- 3.7. Concluding Remarks -- Part II. Reproductive Freedom - Its Core Component Elements -- Chapter 4. The Current Discourse -- 4.1. General Overview -- 4.2. Exploring Contemporary Concepts -- 4.2.1. The Concept of 'Reproductive Health' -- 4.2.1.1. Its Emergence -- 4.2.1.2. The Cairo Programme of Action -- 4.2.1.3. The Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action -- 4.3. The Concept 'Regulation of Fertility' -- 4.3.1. The Cairo Programme of Action -- 4.3.2. The Impact of the Final Documents Adopted at the Cairo and Beijing UN Conferences -- Chapter 5. Family Planning in a Wide Perspective -- 5.1. Fertility Regulation in Relation to Family Planning.

5.2. The Emergence of the Concept 'Family Planning' -- 5.3. The Substantive Content of the Right to Family Planning -- 5.3.1. The Committee's on Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Interpretation -- 5.3.2. Religious Resistance to an Extensive Interpretation of the Notion 'Family Planning' -- 5.3.3. The Right to Procreate -- 5.3.3.1. Some Justifications for the Use of Modern Technologies of Human Reproduction -- 5.3.3.2. Alternatives to the Conventional Method of Conception -- 5.3.3.2.1. Homologous and Heterologous Artificial Insemination -- 5.3.3.2.2. Surrogate Motherhood -- 5.3.3.3. Access to Assisted Procreation -- 5.3.3.3.1. Married and Cohabiting Couples -- 5.3.3.3.2. Single Women and Lesbians -- A. Single Women -- B. Single Lesbian Women and Same-sex Couples -- 5.3.3.3.3. Post Mortem Insemination -- 5.3.3.3.4. Conclusions -- 5.3.4. Women's Right not to Procreate -- 5.3.4.1. Contraception -- 5.3.4.2. Freedom of Information -- 5.3.4.2.1. Achieving Universal Consensus -- 5.3.4.2.2. The European Experience -- 5.3.4.3. Freedom from Governmental Interference with Decision-making -- 5.3.4.3.1. Generally -- 5.3.4.3.2. Forced Abortions and Forced/Compulsory Sterilisations -- 5.3.4.3.3. Coercion in Relation to HIV/AIDS -- 5.3.4.3.4. Public Authorities' Use of Incentives and Disincentives -- 5.3.4.4. Coercion of Women in Custody -- 5.3.4.5. Coercion in the Private Sphere -- 5.3.4.5.1. Relations between Non-State Actors -- 5.3.4.5.2. Resolving Conflicting Interests - A Test for Gender Equality -- 5.3.4.5.3. Son Preference and Sex-Selective Abortions -- 5.3.4.6. Responsible Choice -- 5.3.4.7. Denial of Legal and/or Safe Abortion - a Governmental Coercion? -- 5.3.4.7.1. Universal Trends -- 5.3.4.7.2. European Consensus -- 5.3.4.7.3. Societal Attitudes Towards Abortion as Reflected in National Laws -- A. Categorisations of Domestic Laws.

B. Current Developments -- 5.3.4.8. Access to Abortion Services -- 5.3.4.9. Adolescent Pregnancy and Abortion -- 5.3.4.9.1. Definition of Adolescence -- 5.3.4.9.2. Universal Recognition of the Special Needs of Adolescents -- 5.3.4.9.3. Risks and Consequences of Adolescent Pregnancy -- Chapter 6. Legal Abortion - An Emerging Human Right in International Law? -- 6.1. Developments on the Universal Level -- 6.1.1. The Women's Convention -- 6.1.1.1. Legal Abortion - A Prerequisite for Gender Equality -- 6.1.2. Other Universal Instruments -- 6.1.2.1. The Covenant on Civil and Political Rights -- 6.1.2.2. The Convention on the Rights of the Child -- 6.2. Developments on the Regional Level -- 6.2.1. Within Europe -- 6.2.2. The Inter-American Human Rights System -- 6.3. Some Concluding Remarks -- Part III. Gender-based Violence - a Grave Violation of the Non-discrimination Principle and a Major Obstacle to Reproductive Freedom -- Chapter 7. Violence Against Women as an International Issue -- 7.1. Introduction -- 7.2. Some Definitional Deliberations -- 7.3. Violence Against Women in Armed Conflicts -- 7.3.1. General Remarks -- 7.3.2. Definition and Historical Development of Modern International Humanitarian Law -- 7.3.3. The Interrelationship of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law -- 7.3.4. Basic Principles of International Humanitarian Law -- Chapter 8. The Ad Hoc International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia -- 8.1. General Developments Prior to its Creation -- 8.2. The Legal Foundations and Objectives of the Ad Hoc Tribunal -- 8.3. The Jurisdiction of the Ad Hoc Tribunal -- 8.3.1. The Tribunal's Jurisdiction Ratione Loci and Ratione Temporis -- 8.3.2. The Tribunal's Jurisdiction Ratione Materiae -- 8.3.2.1. Grave Breaches -- 8.3.2.1.1. Rape as a Grave Breach of Humanitarian Law -- 8.3.2.1.2. Rape as Torture.

8.3.2.1.3. The Definition of Torture -- 8.3.2.1.4. Rape as Inhuman Treatment -- 8.3.2.2. Violations of the Laws or Customs of War -- 8.3.2.2.1. General Remarks -- 8.3.2.2.2. War Crimes in the Context of the Ad Hoc Tribunal's Statute -- 8.3.2.2.3. Rape as a Violation of the Laws and Customs of War -- 8.3.2.3. Genocide -- 8.3.2.3.1. General Remarks -- 8.3.2.3.2. The Crime Rape - A Vehicle of Genocide -- 8.3.2.4. Crimes against Humanity -- 8.3.2.4.1. General Observations -- 8.3.2.4.2. Rape as a Crime Against Humanity -- 8.3.3. The Ratione Personae Jurisdiction of the Ad Hoc Tribunal -- 8.3.3.1. The Defendants -- 8.3.3.2. The Issue of Command Responsibility -- 8.3.3.3. The Plea of Respondeat Superior as a Defence -- 8.4. Exclusive or Concurrent Character of the Ad Hoc Tribunal's Jurisdiction? -- 8.5. The Organisation of the Ad Hoc Tribunal -- 8.5.1. The Structure and the Seat of the Ad Hoc Tribunal -- 8.5.2. Due Process of Law -- 8.6. Some Concluding Remarks -- Part IV. Conclusions and Recommendations -- Chapter 9. Summary and Concluding Remarks - De lege lata and de lege ferenda -- 9.1. Challenging the Content of Prevailing Concepts -- 9.2. Identification of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Obligations -- 9.3. Monitoring the Implementation of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Obligations -- 9.3.1. Generally -- 9.3.2. Institutions and Procedures -- 9.3.2.1. Charter-based Organs -- 9.3.2.2. Treaty Bodies -- 9.3.2.2.1. Reporting Procedures -- 9.3.2.2.2. Complaint Procedures -- 9.3.2.2.3. Monitoring Humanitarian Law -- Abbreviations -- Bibliography -- Literature -- Index -- International Studies in Human Rights.